The present invention relates generally to a support assembly for office furniture, such as desks, tables and the like, and in particular, to a support assembly having a storable foot support.
Typically, office furniture work surfaces, such as desks and tables, are supported by one or more support legs. Often, the desk or table is C-shaped. In such a configuration, the top of the support leg is secured along a rear portion of the work surface, so that the work surface extends forwardly from the support leg. A support foot extends forwardly from the bottom of the support leg to engage the floor. In such an arrangement, where the work surface is cantilevered outwardly from one or more support legs, a user can move freely between adjacent desks without the support legs interfering with their knees.
Traditionally, the support foot is fixedly or integrally attached to the support leg so that the moment generated by the cantilevered surface can be effectively transferred from the support leg to the support foot. Often, however, a support foot is not required for stability, such as when the work surface is attached to an adjacent work surface, or when two desks placed side-by-side share a single intermediate leg. In such an arrangement, the intermediate leg is not required to carry any substantial bending moment, and typically does not need a support foot for stability. Similarly, a support leg positioned under the back corner of a corner desk having two additional legs positioned along opposing sides also typically does not carry a significant moment and does not need to be stabilized. In these situations, a support foot can actually interfere with the user's feet or the casters on an office chair, and may not be desirable. In addition, an unnecessary support foot can detract from the aesthetics of the desk by cluttering the space beneath the desk.
It also is desirable to provide support legs that are modular, i.e., that can be installed interchangeably on various desk configurations. A modular support leg is designed to be installed at any location, regardless of the load being carried or the impact on the user's mobility and comfort. The typical support leg, installed in a C-shaped desk, cannot be reconfigured so as not to interfere with the user's feet when placed in a corner or intermediate position, i e., where the support foot is not needed for stability.
In addition, support legs also typically are not capable of being positioned interchangeably at opposite sides of the worksurface, or at the back corner of a corner desk, because the support bracket attached to the top of the support leg typically is fixedly attached to the support leg. Therefore, the support leg cannot be rotated about the longitudinal, vertical axis of the leg so as to allow the leg to be repositioned in other support positions beneath the work surface, or other object being supported. As a result, several types of legs and/or brackets may have to be manufactured and retained in inventory in order to fully configure the work surface assembly.
Support feet typically are fixedly attached to the support leg, and therefore do not provide any front to back leveling capability. Therefore, if a desk is positioned on an uneven floor, the support foot cannot be adjusted to level the work surface. Instead, a leveling screw is usually provided in one or more ends of the foot support. Such a device can increase the height of the support foot, however, and therefore can increase the likelihood of interference with the user's feet or chair.
In addition to leveling screws in the foot support, support legs also can have a leveling device, commonly called a glide device, positioned generally along the longitudinal, vertical axis of the support leg. In this way, each support leg can be raised or lowered a small amount to level the desk from side to side, or from front to back. Glide devices, however, typically include an actuation member which can be difficult to manipulate and adjust. Moreover, the actuation member is often exposed so that an installer can readily access it, or is contained in the support leg so that the leveling screw is exposed below the leg. This can detract from the aesthetics of the glide device and the support leg.